[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 240312
HLSCRP
GMZ235-255-275-TXZ234-244>247-240530-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1008 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA APPROACHING THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF ARANSAS...CALHOUN...
REFUGIO...SAN PATRICIO AND VICTORIA COUNTIES...

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
CONTINUES TO SHOW HURRICANE RITA MAKING LANDFALL ACROSS THE EXTREME
UPPER TEXAS COAST EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM PORT O'CONNOR TO
PORT ARANSAS.  THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING INCLUDES ARANSAS...
CALHOUN...REFUGIO...AND EXTREME EASTERN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND
VICTORIA COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 10 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.2 WEST...OR ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF SABINE PASS.

RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL. ON THIS TRACK...MOST OF THE
EFFECTS OF HURRICANE RITA WILL REMAIN WELL NORTH OF THE COASTAL BEND
OF TEXAS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
REMAINS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

...EVACUATION INFORMATION...

A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW LYING AREAS OF
CALHOUN COUNTY.

A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR VICTORIA COUNTY.

BEACHES ALONG THE BARRIER ISLANDS...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS AND THE
PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE...REMAIN CLOSED.

ALL OTHER MANDATORY AND VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN LIFTED.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...

LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO
THE OFFSHORE WATERS WITH SEAS OF 15 TO 20 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS ARE
EXPECTED TO RISE UP TO 20 TO 22 FEET TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF
THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS.

TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING TWO TO THREE FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST...FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT
O'CONNOR. WATER REMAINS UP TO THE DUNES IN MANY LOCATIONS ON THE
BARRIER ISLANDS...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS. ALSO...WATER HAS BEEN
REPORTED INTO THE DITCHES ON OCEAN DRIVE IN MAGNOLIA BEACH.

HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ALONG THE
MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. THIS TIDE IN COMBINATION WITH SWELLS FROM RITA
WILL PUSH TOTAL TIDE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 2 TO 4 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL IN
THE BAYS WITH HIGHER TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL
POSSIBLE ON THE GULF SIDE OF THE BARRIER ISLAND AT PORT OCONNOR AND
PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING.

ALONG THE BARRIER ISLAND TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET WILL CAUSE
FLOODING OF SOME AREAS IN PORT OCONNOR. SOME LOW LYING AREAS
OF MAGNOLIA BEACH WILL ALSO BE FLOODED. IN ADDITION...PORTIONS OF
MATAGORDA ISLAND WILL BE FLOODED AS WELL AS AREAS OF THE ARANSAS
WILDLIFE REFUGE. SOME FLOODING IN THE INDIANOLA AREA WILL ALSO
OCCUR.

IN THE BAYS AT 4 FEET...WATER IS ABOUT 1/4 MILE INLAND IN EXTREME
SOUTHERN PART OF ROCKPORT. LOW SPOTS ON HIGHWAY 35 BETWEEN ARANSAS
PASS AND ROCKPORT BECOME FLOODED.

IN ADDITION...LARGE BREAKING WAVES WILL PRODUCE VERY ROUGH SURF AND A
GREATER RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES. SWIMMING
OR SURFING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FARTHER SOUTH FROM PORT ARANSAS
TO BAFFIN BAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN COASTAL BEND TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. GUSTS TO 45
MPH WILL ALSO OCCUR...PRIMARILY ACROSS VICTORIA AND CALHOUN COUNTIES.
RESIDENTS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT BY
THE WIND...ESPECIALLY THOSE NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST.

...RAINFALL...

THERE IS STILL A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR OUTER RAINBANDS TO AFFECT THE FAR
NORTHERN COASTAL BEND AND ADJACENT GULF WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER CALHOUN AND VICTORIA
COUNTIES. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN ONE
QUARTER OF AN INCH THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND
MIDNIGHT.

$$

TE

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